The Beat Of My Own Drum
by Witchy Nike
Summary: Some say love and adventure fall hand in hand that you're going to run into both during your life. My mother moved our family across the seas to the New World hoping to start over. The only problem are the rules and greed in this town and the fact that exploring and curiosity are forbidden. There's absolutely NO contact with the savages a rule that I find is easier broken. AU OC/OC
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I don't own Pocahontas, anything related to it, or anything Disney created. That being said, the things you don't recognize are probably my own._

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**Chapter One**

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This land was beautiful. It most certainly was different from England, but that was just something I was to get used to, according to mum. It was something we all were to get used to. We were here to begin a new life, one without father or his memory. Sometimes I couldn't help but think this journey was more for mum to distance herself from his memory…his passing really hadn't been too long ago, and it was still painful.

"I want to see an Indian!" my little brother was saying excitedly, jumping up and down as he clung to the ship, the Susan Constant's, railing, peering at the rapidly approaching docks on the outskirts of the small town. On the outskirts of our small town, I reminded myself as I smiled down at Josef.

"You most certainly do not!" my older sister, who was eighteen, said, her voice rising some. "Tell him, Will! Those savages are no good." I knew she never did it on purpose, but Alice always tended to sound bossy and controlling every time she opened her mouth.

Will, the eldest child in our family at nineteen years old, leaned against the railing with his arms crossed over his chest, tossing a level stare at Alice before turning it on Josef. "Alice is right, Jo," he said in his deep, gravelly voice, "but they aren't anything to worry about. However…not for a big terror like you. You could have them all running the other way with just one look from those crazy blue eyes."

Josef's whole face lit up at the idea, and he started hopping up and down even faster. "I'm going to be a cowboy! I'm going to be a hero! I'm going to save everyone from the savagees!" It was difficult, but we all managed to keep our humor at his mistaken pronunciation hidden. He was only seven years old, and that combined with his excitement very well explained his…issues.

"Savages, Josef, savages," our mum said, appearing behind Alice. "Just because we are in this new, uncivilized land does not mean we are going to become uncivilized as well. We speak in the right way and no other."

"Ah mum he's just excited," I said, putting my arm around his little shoulders.

"As we all are, Taylor," she agreed, her mouth lifting some at the edges. "There still is no reason to forget our manners or proper English."

"I want to climb a tree!" Josef exclaimed. "I want to swim in the ocean! I want to ride a horse! I want to…" He went on and on about all the things he wanted to do in our new homeland, things he had to do all at once. We listened to him all the way to the dock, and it was only when we were unloading off the ship did he become silenced, looking around him in awe. One really could not blame him; there was so much to see, it was a lot to take in.

"Watch your step, miss!" one of the crew members said, offering me a hand as I jumped onto the dock.

"Thank you." I gave him a cheery smile and turned to hold out my arms for Josef to jump into.

"Don't you dare jump off this—" my mum started to say, but she was too late as Josef flung himself off the deck and landed in my arms, almost knocking me off my feet. He wasn't a large kid, but I was little for my age. In fact, Josef was already more than halfway to catching up to my height. The sad part of that was I was two months away from turning seventeen.

"Good God," I said as I placed Josef on his feet, staring at the tall, long expanse of trees in front of me. They had seemed big from sea, but now they were almost unreal.

"Amazing, isn't it?" a friendly voice asked from behind me, and when I glanced over my shoulder I saw the captain of the ship, John Smith, whose eyes were just as bright as his smile. "Just think of the adventure that could be waiting for you in this new world."

"Adventures!" Josef shouted excitedly, to which the Captain looked down and ruffled his hair, grinning.

"You'll have to keep an eye on this little explorer," he said, winking at Josef.

"No, no adventures," Mum said as she walked off the ship, taking the hand of the same crew member who had helped me down. "It is not safe."

"Ah, but that's the fun of it, ma'am," John Smith said, nodding his head to her in a polite manner, "not knowing what's around the corner in store for you."

"Maybe for you, Captain, but not for my children." She took Josef's hand and led him towards the center of what was slowly starting to look like a small town, the Virginia Company. Will and Alice followed closely behind her, each tugging along their own luggage, Will also carrying Josef's.

"I am sorry," I told him, hefting up my suitcases. "Mum doesn't much appreciate change. She's going through hard times, and she just wants to keep the family close and safe."

"Nah, don't worry about it," he said, taking my bags from me, starting to follow the way my family had gone. "So how 'bout you…Taylor, is it? Are you searching for an adventure?"

"Yes sir, I am Taylor. And I would not mind going on an adventure, but my mother would not approve." I walked along next to him, trying to take my bags back, but he shrugged me away.

"I'm not saying to disobey your mother," he said in a playful tone, "but this is a new life for you, as well as everyone else. I'd suggest making the most of it." He set my suitcases down next to my family's belongings, before turning to look at me, offering me his hand. I shook it as he cast me one last smile before he turned back down the path to his ship, calling over his shoulder, "See you around, Phillips family!"

"He is a fine man, is he not?" Alice asked in an admiring tone from behind me.

Laughing, I threw my arm around her as we watched Mum and Will join a small group of the heads of families to be assigned living quarters by Governor Ratcliffe, a strange, sour-looking man. "He is quite good-looking," I agreed, "but blondes are not my preferred type of man."

"You are so picky," she scoffed. "I pity the man you marry!"

"I am not picky," I argued. "I just know what I like."

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**A/N: Hello everyone! First, let me say thank you for giving this story a try! I'm new to writing Pocahontas fics, but I absolutely love the movie and other fics that I've read set in that world that I couldn't help but become obsessed with this world. So please have some patience with me as things get started in this, because not even I know exactly where this is going as of right now.**

**Please R&amp;R! Whether good or bad, I love to hear your opinions, and I absolutely love constructive criticism, too! I'm not perfect, and anything that anyone has to point out will only help me improve as a writer!**

**Once again, thank you! I hope that you enjoyed it, and I hope to hear from you all!**

**Witchy Nike**

PS. Yes, I know, the title of this fic is just a wee bit corny and cliché, but it was the first thing I thought of, and since then it's fit. If I can come up with a better one, then I might change it. But til then, sorry! It's gonna stay a cliché title! :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

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It was funny, really, how each of us were adjusting to this new change. It had almost been a week since we had set foot on this new land, and some of us in my family were better off with it than the others. Will, Josef, and I just couldn't seem to get past our excitement that made itself known day after day. Alice and our mother, however, were right on the line in between homesickness and acceptance of what lay before them. I knew this was harder for mum than the rest of us, what with having to continue taking care of the family all on her own, but I knew she was going to be okay.

Looking over my shoulder, making sure that no one was watching me, I began to make my way towards the forest, staying in the shadows as best as I could. I'd just come to the edge of the forest when a voice made me jump out of my skin.

"Just where do you think you are you going?" I glanced to my right and saw that the Governor stood amidst a crew of men hard at work clearing more land for houses. He was a rather large man dressed in colors that he didn't need to help draw attention to himself. His face was unpleasant and stone cold, his gaze making my skin crawl.

"Are you deaf, girl?" he demanded, his voice just as callous as his eyes.

"I-I…uh, no sir," I stuttered, backing away from the edge of the woods as he began to make his way towards me.

"Why were you that close to the border?"

"I-I was just—"

"A straight answer would be best," he interrupted as he came to a stop, looming above me. I felt as if I were an ant that he could crush with his big foot allowing him to continue on his way. "You know we have rules against women going—"

"Miss Phillips! There you are! It's about time you showed up." The Governor's eyes left me for the newcomer, Captain Smith, who had leapt out of a tree, landing on his feet. He had on what appeared to be a piece of metal armor, a metal helmet that kept his wavy hair out of his face, and he had a gun strapped to his back.

"She is with you, Captain?" the Governor questioned, but his tone showed that he didn't buy it.

"Of course!" he said enthusiastically, taking my hand, pulling me towards the forest. "I promised I'd take her with me."

"I bet you did," Governor Ratcliffe muttered under his breath. "And just where are you going, Captain?"

"Where else? Exploring." I couldn't help but notice the light in his eyes as he said this.

"Just don't get the girl killed. I don't want to have to deal with her mother." And with that he turned his back on us as if we didn't matter.

"Thank you for that, Cap—"

"Miss Phillips, please. It's John," he interrupted. "Call me John."

"Then it is only right that we both are on a first name basis," I said with a smile. "Call me Taylor, John."

"Aye, ma'am." He returned my smile. "I'll be sure to remember."

"I want to thank you, John, for stepping in. The Governor gives me the creeps." I shuddered, and that's when I noticed that we'd stepped foot inside the wood line. "Oh…it's even more beautiful than I'd imagined!"

The trees were a lush green and rose up so high they seemed as if they were lost in the clouds. There were tall grasses and thick bushes everywhere you lay your eyes on, with various creatures skittering around on the ground and in the air, just above my head.

"And it only gets better." John looked just as alive as the forest, as if this was where he belonged.

"You have already been here?" I asked, following him as he led the way, so confident and sure of himself.

"On day one. I couldn't resist it," he said, tossing a grin my way. "How did you manage to stay away so long?"

"My mother. She's kept a constant eye on us."

"Ah. Well, I'm happy you can finally get out here and live."

"As am I." I sighed, hardly able to believe what I was doing. If my mother found out, I would be dead. But the feeling that was rushing through me…it was worth it. "So what's it like, out here?"

"It's amazing, Taylor. I've already seen things I've only heard or read about. Raging rivers with waterfalls, cliffs that are so high up the trees that lie below it seem as if they're just specs of dirt… You name it, and it's here."

"I'd love to see it all," I breathed, a new sort of thrill coursing through me.

"And you can," he said, sounding just as excited as I felt, "but not all today. It's not going anywhere, so you have all the time in the world."

"I can't believe this is happening," I muttered, thinking this all had to be a dream.

"Neither can I," John agreed, smiling. "I can't believe I met somebody who's just as interested in the world around them as I am."

"Are you kidding? All my life I've dreamt of traveling to far off places and seeing the world. I've always wanted to have an adventure of my own. I suppose that's where Josef gets it from, actually…"

"It's not a bad trait to have," he assured me.

"That's a matter of opinion," I said, laughing slightly. "Have you seen any Indians yet?"

"Indians, not Savages?" He gave me a curious look, to which I just shrugged.

"What makes them a savage? They haven't ambushed and shot us all yet, so no. They're not savages."

"If only everyone thought like you," he muttered under his breath. "No, I haven't seen an Indian yet. But I'm glad, since I've been ordered to shoot it down if I do."

"What?" I exclaimed. "Why would you do that?"

"It's not my choice, Taylor. Once you've been given an order—"

"You always have a choice," I argued. "And with that, you have to choose what's right, and that's not killing an innocent person!"

"Hey, whoa, calm down." He stopped and turned to face me, placing his hands on my shoulders. "I haven't killed or shot anyone in my life. I'm not sure I even could if it came down to it."

"Promise me you'll keep an open mind, then."

"You're not at all like all the other girls from England." He chuckled, then placed his hand over his heart and said, "I promise I won't kill any of the Indians that I come across."

I smiled at the sight of him standing like that. "I have a feeling you and I are going to get along rather well, Captain John Smith."

"One can only hope, Miss Taylor Phillips."

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**A/N: ****I'm so so so SOOOOOO sorry everybody! I hope you'll forgive me…really I have no excuse why this chapter, no, this STORY, was so delayed. I'd say I was busy or some load of crap like that, but you guys don't care about that stuff. I'll just make a promise that I'll TRY to never let this long of a delay happen again. I can't guarantee it won't happen, but I'll try my best to make sure it doesn't.**

**I'll be honest, I was REALLY surprised with all of the feedback I'd gotten! I seriously had NOT expected that! And I'd like to thank each and every one of you that took your time to read, review, and even favorite and follow this story. That means the world to me, just so you know.**

**Also, one more thing. This story is set a little bit differently than how the original movie was set. This story isn't about John and Pocahontas, it's going to be about two OC's. John and Pocahontas will be important characters, they're just not the stars of this show, so to speak. And, with that in mind, this story starts right around the same time that the first movie started, I just changed it so it wasn't just the work crew that was there when the town was being built. So please just stick with me and keep an open mind, and I'll try to make this work.**

**Once again, thank you all for making me one happy writer and t****hanks for sticking with me you guys! You all mean the world to me! Thanks for reading and reviewing! You're what makes me happy!****! And I really hope you enjoyed this! Hopefully soon the story will pick up and get more entertaining! :)**

**Review?**

**Nike**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

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John and I had been meeting up every day to go explore the new world for a couple weeks now, and I'd been having the time of my life. I was lucky, too, because none of my family, or anybody else in the small town, had noticed our disappearances, or, if they did, had never said anything. I thanked God for that, for my mother not finding out.

I was just on my way to meet John when my little brother came running up to me. "Taaaaaylor! Taylor, wait for me!"

Grinning, I turned and scooped him up in my arms when he came within distance before quickly setting him back down before I dropped him on his face. "What are you doing, you little terror?"

"I wanna come with you!" he exclaimed, bouncing up and down almost too fast for my eyes to keep track of his figure.

"Come with me? Come with me where?"

"To the woods! I wanna see an Indian, and climb a tree, and—"

"Whoa there, buddy! What are you talking about?" I asked, my stomach sinking.

He grabbed my wrist, trying to use all his might to pull me towards the trees. "Will and I watch you go all the time, and I wanna go with you! But he said I couldn't, but that doesn't mean you say I can't, so can I?"

"Josef…that's not a good idea—"

"But you do it!"

"No, that's not what I meant," I said, sticking my tongue out at the pout on his face. "I meant I don't think it's a good idea to go against what Will said. You know he's all but in charge now."

"He's not my father, so I don't have to listen!"

"Please don't talk like that, Jo," I whispered as our father's face crossed my mind.

He immediately sobered up at my tone. "I'm sorry, Taylor. I just want to do what you do."

"I know buddy." I put my arm around his shoulders, leading him back towards our temporary home. I figured John would understand if we didn't meet up just this once. After all, in my opinion, family always came first. And I certainly didn't want Josef running around in those woods when I wasn't sure just how safe it was. "How'd you manage to escape from Will?"

"He's working today," Josef said with a puff of frustration, "and Alice and mum are always talking to the other ladies in town, and they're _booooring_."

I had to laugh at that. It was true that there weren't very many women in this town, just like there weren't very many children Jo's age, if any at all. That being said, you'd think that if you had the guts to make that trip over to this land you'd at least have an interesting personality. This, however, wasn't the case with these ladies. The only reason that what few of them were here was because their husbands weren't ever going back to England, and they really hadn't had a choice but to come along as well.

"Your wife will be chatty like that, Jo."

"Eewie! No! Girls are gross!" he said with a disgusted look on his face, shuddering at the thought.

I feigned a hurt expression, trying to hide my smile by placing a hand over my mouth. "Even me?" It was funny, watching the little gears in his mind backtrack.

"Taylor, you aren't a girl." His voice was so factual, tinged with a how-could-you-have-never-noticed-this tone that had me unsure of whether or not I should've been insulted or flattered.

"I hate to break it to you, bud, but I am, in fact, a girl." I grinned at the disbelieving look on his face. "But thank you for the compliment."

"Does that mean you're going to get married?"

Laughing, I squeezed his hand, shaking my head at him. "One day, Josef, I will get married. But then so will you."

"But you're going to marry the Captain, aren't you?" It took a second for what he said to register in my mind, but when it did, I pulled him to a stop, making him face me.

"W-why would you say such a thing?" I sputtered, disbelief thick in not only my voice, but also my mind.

"Well isn't that why you spend so much time with him?"

"No, buddy. That's not why at all."

"Will and Alice say so, though!" he argued.

"They what?"

"Alice says that's why you two have been spending so much time together. Will says—"

"Does mum know, Jo? Does she know I've been out, with the Captain?"

He furrowed his little brows. "No. Will says not to tell her, that you need to."

"Oh thank God," I muttered, looking up at the clear blue sky. "Where's Alice at now?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. But she never leaves town like you, so she's easy to find." And she was really easy to find. As always, she was attached at the hip with two other ladies she'd met whom she had immediately took a liking to. I wasn't sure what she found so great about them (I myself found them to be a little dull), but the company kept her happy so I didn't bother questioning her judgement.

"Excuse me," I interrupted their conversation, which probably wasn't a very ladylike thing to do. "Alice, can I talk to you in private for a moment?"

Alice grimaced, casting her two companions an apologetic smile on my behalf. But she got up from her seat and followed Jo and I nonetheless. "What do you want Taylor? And why couldn't it wait until later tonight?" She sniffed, glancing over my shoulder as if she were looking for something or someone. "Where's Captain Smith? Shouldn't you be with him by now?"

"That is exactly what I want to talk to you about!" I exclaimed. "What are you thinking, filling Jo's head with nonsense like that?" Jo grinned at Alice, as if he was pleased with himself for getting me to all but yell at her.

"What nonsense?" she demanded, placing a delicate hand on her hip. "You know I don't believe in nonsense."

"Apparently you do!"

"What on earth are you talking about Taylor? I really don't have time for this."

"Yes because you were so busy back gossiping with the other women."

"As a matter of fact I was. So get on with it or I'm leaving."

"There is _nothing_ going on between John and myself!"

"Bit friendly though, isn't it, if you both are on a first name basis?"

I stuttered, not knowing what to say to that. "You have no idea what you're talking about Alice. So please stop pretending like you do. If you're so eager for something romantic to happen, go find it for yourself and leave me out of it."

Surprising me, she grinned. "That's exactly what I was doing before you interrupted me. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go back and finish getting some advice on men before I go on my date tonight. Which—" She held up a hand to interrupt me. "—if you hadn't been so busy with _John_ all the time you would've known about. If you want, there's room for one more and you can learn all about Captain Smith and men in general if you want to come join us."

I blinked. "Why didn't you tell me you had a date? With who?"

Jo groaned, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "_Girl_ stuff! This is boring. I'm gonna go find Will so I don't have to hear about this icky stuff anymore." He gave me a disappointed look before he ran off in what I assumed was Will's general direction.

Laughing at his retreating back, I turned to face Alice again. "So? Are you going to tell me about who I'm sure is a handsome suitor for my lovely sister?"

Smiling, she linked her arm with mine and turned me towards her two friends, who were watching us and chatting amongst themselves. "Come with me, baby sister. You have a lot to learn."

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**A/N: I'll try my best to get another chapter up within a couple of days. Hopefully it'll start picking up soon for you guys!**

**Thanks for reading! Leave a review for me?**

**Nike :)**


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